


What Will You Do? Once You Have Me

by easybakedoodles (Madrugada98)



Series: Daolin Tabris: The Family You Don't Choose [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: M/M, but also i've had this sitting for literal years im so glad i finally finished this, the prompt was lockpicks and quicKLY goes off topic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:12:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23465203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madrugada98/pseuds/easybakedoodles
Summary: Zevran's got a lot on his mind, Daolin's not the best at figuring out whats on Zevran's mind, and they're both too afraid to actually say what they're thinking.
Relationships: Zevran Arainai/Daolin Tabris, Zevran Arainai/Male Tabris, Zevran Arainai/Male Warden
Series: Daolin Tabris: The Family You Don't Choose [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/349163
Kudos: 9





	What Will You Do? Once You Have Me

As the lockpick broke, Zevran could almost feel the Warden’s little huffs of laughter from behind him. He didn’t even look behind him, and could imagine the exact look gracing Warden Tabris’ face. The Warden himself was a rogue! Zevran had no idea why he insisted on letting Zevran try to pick the lock first, only for him to come up behind him, touch his elbow and say those insufferable words.

“Here, let me try,” Tabris said, his fingertips a light fluttering touch against Zevran’s arm as he bent down to the same level. Zevran barely resisted rolling his eyes as he abruptly stood up and stepped away in order to give Tabris all the room he needed. Within moments, the lock was easily discarded as Tabris opened the chest. Zevran could only huff and look away as the Warden went through the contents of the chest, taking and discarding as he saw fit.

“Do you want these?” Tabris asked, catching Zevran’s attention again. He held out a few flasks, presumably filled with deathroot extract or something similar. Zevran just nodded and took the offered items, opening one of them to get a waft and figure out what it was for sure, and how strong it may be. Daolin grinned at the sight, seemingly forgetting himself before abruptly turning to their other companions after a moment.

Zevran didn’t know what to make of the Warden’s behaviour, over the last few weeks he’d been getting increasingly familiar with Zevran. Little touches, grinning haplessly, offering Zevran things. As if Zevran couldn’t tell that the feelings swarming his chest were familiar and unwanted, but was powerless to stop. As if Zevran wasn’t entirely at his mercy, as he already had sworn himself to the Warden’s service. Something that Zevran himself was actually struggling with the concept of recently. What would this Warden do once the Blight was over, Archdemon dead and civil war ceased? What would he do with Zevran?

His thoughts were broken up with Sten’s fierce battle cry, forcing his attention back to whomever had foolishly tried to sneak up on their group. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tabris jump back, pulling an arrow from his quiver as he moved, and Morrigan began to cast some nasty hex.

-

Thoughts of his relationship with Tabris, whatever it may be, didn’t resurface until much later, when they were done with their tasks and had come back to their small camp. Dinner had been made and divided up, thankfully it was Leliana’s turn and not Alistair’s, so while Zevran definitely didn’t like Orlesian cuisine, at least it wasn’t Ferelden. Or whatever Alistair swore was Ferelden and not just poor cooking.

As he pondered his dinner, he could see the Warden making his usual rounds of the camp. It was becoming an increasingly familiar routine for him to check in with each of his companions, sometimes it was a quick check in, other times he spent at least an hour talking to someone. One thing Zevran couldn’t figure out however, was why Tabris always, always, left Zevran himself for last. 

Some time later, Daolin finally made his way over to where Zevran was sitting. He sat himself down next to Zevran, stretching out his legs and groaning obscenely. Rather than amused by it, like he normally would be, Zevran just found himself getting frustrated.

“I’ve a question, if I may,” he told the Warden, looking over at him, staring him down. Tabris looked only a small amount startled by this but just nodded for Zevran to continue.

“Well here is the thing: I swore an oath to serve you, yes? And I understand the quest you’re on and all of this is very fine and well. My question pertains to what you intend to do with me once this business is over with. As a point of curiosity,” Zevran said, his throat feeling a little tight. Daolin just sort of stared back for a moment, thinking it over, and Zevran could see some different emotions pass through his face, confusion, understanding, and sadness? Finally Tabris leaned back and looked up at the stars before answering.

“You could go, anywhere. If you wanted.” Tabris said quietly. Zevran felt the strange tightness start to unravel, just a little bit, and another part of his heart tightened at the words. But Zevran needed to continue asking, needed to be sure.

“Anywhere is quite a wide choice of options, my warden. One simply assumes that, once your Grey Warden business is finished, you would have no need of an assassin to follow you about. Am I wrong?” Zevran asked, pushing for something, even if he didn’t quite know what answer he wanted.

“I’ll not hold you to any oath, Zevran. You could leave whenever you like,” Daolin said, looking back at Zevran directly, holding his gaze. The bulk of the thick constricting feeling in Zevran’s chest smoothed away. Tabris looked honest, and hurt at the same time. Did Daolin feel just as hurt about the idea of Zevran going away? Why did Zevran feel hurt about the idea of being sent away? Zevran blinked quickly, breaking their gaze and coming back to himself enough to respond.

“Oh? Well, I made that oath willingly, but if that’s how you see it, then all the better. For the moment, it’s still best that I stay. Considering my stance with the Crows and all,” Zevran finished, feeling like he suddenly was speaking too quickly, unsure of the thoughts in his own head. Daolin looked relieved to hear that Zevran would stay, but his face became guarded at the mention of the Crows. Something about his face, slightly turned away from Zevran, prompted the assassin to continue.

“But let’s assume that I didn’t desire to leave, when the time came. What then?” he asked, his voice sounding much more sure than he felt. Tabris looked back up at him then, expression still mostly guarded, but something else was there too, not that Zevran could tell what it meant.

“Why wouldn’t you go, if you had the chance?” Daolin asked back, clearly trying to not sway Zevran in any way. Zevran only got frustrated by the tactic.

“You know, you shouldn’t answer a question with a question. It’s rude.” he said, smirking at the other man, trying to lighten the mood a little bit. “I suppose, I don’t entirely know what I could go back to at this point. Unless something is done about the Crows, I will likely be forced to evade them for the rest of my life, however long that may be. Antiva will always be in my heart, but I don’t suppose it would be very smart for me to go back and just try to be a fisherman or something. Can you even imagine?” Zevran said, smiling lightly for Daolin’s sake.

“You’ve spent so much of your life being told what to do, I can only imagine you doing exactly what you want to do,” Daolin replied, almost sounding pitying. Zevran felt his hackles raise at the comment, he knows Daolin most likely didn’t mean anything by it, but he feels defensive all the same.

“And I suppose you have spent your whole life deciding things? Deciding to stay in the Alienage and get married off by your only close relative? Deciding to get conscripted to the Wardens after killing the Arl’s son?” Zevran questions, his voice raising only the slightest bit. He immediately wishes he could take it back, as he knows these are still raw wounds. But he hates that Tabris wants to pity him for the hand he was dealt, regardless of the fact that they were all dealt shitty hands. Daolin’s eyes widen at the questions Zevran poses to him, and seems to realize what he said and looks properly admonished.

“You’re right, I imagine not many of us really do have the choices we like to think that we do. I apologize for my comment,” Tabris said, turning his head back to look back at the stars. “I just find myself hard pressed for any reason why you would want to stay,” he finishes, still staring at the sky. Zevran can see there is a tightness in Tabris’ jaw, keeping him from saying something he is clearly thinking about. Zevran himself is feeling a bit too raw as well at the moment, and decides that they both have probably had enough of these thoughts for the night.

“Well, it is good to know what my options might be. But that is for another time. For now, it is late, I am exhausted and you should definitely be exhausted,” Zevran deflects, standing up and stretching slightly. He goes to offer a hand to Tabris to help him stand up and just gets looked at by his Warden for a few moments. Zevran is surprised by some of the emotions he sees cross Daolin’s face, disappointment, amusement, and something like fondness? It’s tender and leaves Zevran breathless for a moment, enough so that he doesn’t want to actually name what he knows he saw on Daolin’s face. 

After hesitating long enough, Daolin finally reaches and takes the offered hand, grasping tightly as Zevran helped pull him upright. Daolin uses the momentum and surprise in order to land a chaste kiss on Zevran’s cheek, whispering a good night to him, before brushing past towards his own tent. Zevran can only watch him go, wondering how hard it would be to leave once this is all done, or how much harder it would be to stay.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! If you're interested I have another series where all of my wardens are in the same world state together, including Daolin, though not all of them are wardens! Also if you wanna chat with me please leave a comment of reach out to me @drvgongay on tumblr!


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